This invention relates to a framework for enclosing space and more particularly to an octahedron-tetrahedron truss (octet truss}inscribed one within each of a plurality of closely stacked spheres to form multi cluster housing.
The following terms used herein are defined as follows:
Octahedron--A polyhedron having eight equal equilateral triangular plane faces or sides but can be isosceles in form; may be skeletal, as when made of interconnected struts; or continuous, as when made of interlocking or interconnected sheets or plates; or partly skeletal and partly continuous.
Tetrahedron--A polyhedron having four equal equilateral triangular plane faces or sides but can be isosceles in form. Like the octahedron, it may be skeletal, continuous, or a combination of the skeletal and continuous forms.
Octahedron-tetrahedron system--An assemblage of octahedrons and tetrahedrons in face to face relationship. Thus when four tetrahedrons are grouped to define a larger tetrahedron, the resulting central space is an octahedron; together, these figures are comprised in a single, or "common" octahedron-tetrahedron system.
Framework--The frame of a structure for enclosing space, or the frame of a roof, wall or floor; used to distinguish from individual frame components of a roof, wall or floor, so as to denote the whole as distinguished from its parts.
The performance of any building frame is judged by the structural weight needed to shelter a given space. By constructing a frame formed of an octet truss configuration in a sphere, buildings can be erected that greatly reduce the compression components of the configuration over that found in the marketplace. Currently, heavy reinforced concrete compression members are used in multi-level buildings to hold up the structure with little thought being given to the use of tension members.
The disclosed octet truss for use in spheres results in a grid structure that substantially uniformly stresses all of the framework acting almost as a membrane in absorbing and distributing loads. The resulting structure of the disclosed trusses for multi-level cluster housing results in a spidery framework of many lightweight pieces, such as aluminum rods, tubes or extended sections which complement one another in the particular pattern of the finished assembly so as to provide an extremely favorable weight-strength ratio for withstanding high stresses.